WINNEBAGO COUNTY (WSIL) � State Representative John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) has filed a temporary restraining order in regards to Governor JB Pritzker's stay at home order.
According to online court records obtained by our sister station WREX in Rockford, the injunction was filed in the 17th Circuit Court on Tuesday. According to those same court records, a motion was filed immediately by Attorney General Kwame Raoul on behalf of Pritzker to move the case to federal court.
, Representative Cabello said:
“JB Pritzker has unveiled a wholly inadequate “plan� to “Restore Illinois� that appears to be an arbitrary carving up of the state into four regions that does not make any sense. I have filed my temporary restraining order to put the Governor on notice that we are not going to let him dictate to local communities. I trust our local officials and our citizens more than I trust politicians from Springfield or Chicago."
“JB Pritzker does not know what it is like to run a small business and be responsible for a payroll and expenses. His lockdown has already put many of these folks out of business and many more will be wiped out before they are allowed to be open. I think our people are smart enough to understand the need to take great care in the midst of a serious virus and they don’t need to have bankruptcy and financial ruin piled on top of that,� added Cabello.
“Two weeks ago I filed a lawsuit in an attempt to move the Governor off of his lockdown and shut-up strategy. He was moved to actually release a plan called “Restore Illinois�. That plan will not work and the Governor needs to go back to the drawing board and maybe this time include more input from local elected officials as well as businesses who will be impacted by his proclamations. We also need to call the legislature into session and let the people’s representatives weigh in on these issues. This is Illinois, not Venezuela,� said Cabello.
When asked about that particular lawsuit during his daily press briefings, Pritzker dismissed it, saying, "I think it's a similarly irresponsible lawsuit. We're in the business here of keeping people safe and healthy. That's what the stay at home order has been about. I think that lawsuit is just another attempt at grandstanding."
Cabello has said his lawsuit is worded to represent all Illinois citizens.
, but he said he did not file for a temporary restraining order because he wanted to make an effort to come to an agreement on reopening the economy.
Wednesday, a Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down that state's Safer at Home order in its entirety, ordering all future orders to go through the Legislature.
